We will be in China from 24 July 2019 until the end of the year. The online shop will of course stay open during all this time. Products will simply be shipped from China instead of Switzerland (no changes in shipping fees).
Continue reading Second half of 2019 (shipping from China after 22 July)
Any tea variety is always a reflection of its place of origin. The soil imparts its qualities to the tea plants and the weather influences how the leaves are processed. Local customs and eating habits also play a role.
Continue reading The geographical origins of Anhua Dark Tea
Meishan Treasures is our tea club for those who, like us, drink Anhua Dark Tea on a regular basis and wish to have access to all its range of tastes and experiences.
Continue reading Meishan Treasures (tea club)
If you visit Anhua County and pay attention to the names of places, you will see that many have one or both of the characters 溪 (creek / river) and 沙 (sand / river bank) in them.
Continue reading Covered bridges, rivers, and tea transportation
‘Heicha’ is a tea term that is sometimes used rather freely and requires some explanation. In this post we clarify its exact meaning along with other related tea naming practices.
Continue reading Heicha and related tea jargon and naming explained
Sometimes people like to know who is behind a website. We understand this and feel it is a fair request. Instead of writing a long post, we created a video collage of pictures of us in Anhua County, Hunan Province.
Continue reading Behind the scenes
Anhua Dark Tea is certainly one of the tea varieties that requires the most processing steps. While every single step has its purpose in the making of the final product, none is as defining as the Qixing Stove (七星灶) sequence. It is also unique to Anhua Dark Tea. All its variations go through it.
Continue reading Qixing Stove, the tool that gives Anhua Dark Tea its soul
The final compression is an important processing step for all sizes of Huajuan Tea (Shiliang Tea, Bailiang Tea, Qianliang Tea). The steamed leaves are compressed into their three layers of vegetal wrapping, before resting in the open air for about a month.
The video below shows the different tools and actions involved in this key processing step.
Continue reading Bailiang Tea compression
Meishan (梅山) is the ancient name of the region in central Hunan Province, centered around Anhua County and Xinhua County, which is the production area of Anhua Dark Tea.
Continue reading What are the Meishan Mysteries?
There are many factors that influence a tea’s taste and feeling. In the world of Anhua Dark Tea, the grade (size) of the tea leaves used is a key element. 2018 Dark Brick Duo offers you the opportunity to explore this aspect further
Continue reading Introducing 2018 Dark Brick Duo